Outsourcing: is it a holy grail or a poisoned chalice?

The major news story over the summer was the dispute at the airline-catering supplier, Gate Gourmet, and the impact this had on British Airways (BA).

BA decided it was not in the catering business and sold off this division, which eventually became Gate Gourmet and its sole UK supplier of in-flight meals. The dispute at the catering company stopped the provision of in-flight meals at BA and a sympathy strike caused it to shut down over a crucial holiday period. As well as a financial loss of some